I mentioned this last week in my initial Cabo recap here, but it's hard to really go wrong with any resort when your morning itinerary includes: waking up to the sound of the ocean and bottomless margaritas that no one judges you for. But! The Cape Hotel! This is a bold statement, but I truly think it's one of the nicest hotels I've ever stay in. 

And here's my rambling reason why.

It's not necessarily that the resort itself is beautiful. Because it is. Stunning, actually. The architecture sets it apart from every other resort nearby (thanks to lead architect Javier Sanchez), every detail of the decor is unique and chosen thoughtfully (and needs to be in my apartment, ASAP) and there was a copper tub in our hotel room. A copper tub. I'll let that last one sink in for a minute.

It's also not because of the private beach situated right out behind the property. Which, of course, is a fun little treat when you're floating in the infinity pool, watching other hotel guests coach their 10-year olds how to catch waves that would make a grown woman like me cry and paddle ashore.

And it's also not because no matter where you are on the property, you can always see El Arc de Los Cabos in the distance. But, this of course, made for some awesome cotton candy sunset views that I won't soon forget.

So why exactly then? 

The staff. I've never met a more kind, gracious and all around lovely hotel staff and I sensed it the minute I arrived. As I mentioned last week, my initial flight out of JFK was canceled due to engine problems, which meant I had to trek back into Manhattan for the day and fly out the following morning. Needless to say, I was weary and jet lagged when I showed up at The Cape Hotel and in need of a very stiff drink. When we pulled up the driveway to the resort, I was immediately greeted by several members of the hotel, including Ivan, the sweetest bellhop I've ever met and David, one of the staff leads and my personal savior as he ordered said stiff drink for me. 

Everyone knew my name. They all knew my flight situation. And they all kept saying how glad they were that I arrived safely. All of this might to be expected since my friend had already arrived the previous day and had filled them in, but something about it felt very genuine. I didn't feel like I was just checking into another hotel with the obligatory "we're so happy you're staying with us" being thrown out casually. I felt like I was returning somewhere that I had already been before and they were actually just happy to see me. And that's a really nice feeling. 

The rest of our stay was, as you might expect, absolutely beautiful -- and the staff at The Cape Hotel really deserves the credit here for a number of reasons, the top three being: 1. they indulged my attempts at speaking Spanish 2. each morning we had a different floral arrangement on the bed and 3. they made some wonderful recommendations for what to see and do in the area that we might have otherwise missed. (I always love getting a local's perspective.)

Oh and let's not forget. They called me señorita the entire time. Done. Deal. 

Huge thank you to The Cape Hotel for hosting us and showing us such a lovely time. I, for one, have a feeling I'll be back very soon.  

This post was in collaboration with The Cape Hotel. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations! 

Because after the flights are booked, the next step is scooping up a new bathing suit (or two). Admittedly, I don't splurge on swimwear very often so when Cabo was officially on the books, I decided to take the plunge on this Marysia bikini I had been eying for forever. Several scalloped tanlines later, and I'm still beyond happy with the decision -- of course, it was perfect for sitting poolside at The Cape Hotel (I mean, look at that view from the infinity pool) but I could just as easily see it doubling as a crop top alternative with a high waisted skirt of some sort.  

Looking to jet off for one last summer hurrah? Here are a few other favorites that I would have loved in my suitcase before taking off.

This post was in collaboration with The Cape Hotel. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!  

Confession: While writing up this travel recap, I may or may not have gotten in the mood by listening to the "Fun in Acapulco" Elvis album. It's amazing what a little Mexican trumpet fanfare can do to shake up the work week and instantly make you feel like you're south of the border again. This place is like paradise, but also make sure you have checked out the latest travel vaccines for visiting this wonderful slice of heaven. Having a Corona in hand doesn't hurt either (so please excuse any typos that might pop up here).

Another confession: While I do miss waking up to sound the sound of the Sea of Cortez gently lapping outside our hotel room and salty margaritas before noon, I think the serious withdrawals are due to the fact everyone called me señorita while I was there. Can we make that a thing here in the States, already? It sounds so much better than "ma'am" or "miss" or "hey lady!"

Now that we have those two housekeeping items out of the way -- let's dive into Cabo, shall we?

Rewind just a few weeks ago, when I was busy hopping around between Boston, Chicago and DC for work and practically living out of a suitcase each weekend. I was rundown and in desperate need of a big, fat, PAUSE button. When an old friend invited me to tag along down south for a few days, I didn't think twice about it. Two bathing suits were quickly thrown into a bag and more hats than I'd like to admit were tucked away in my carry on, with the promise of slow ocean days and even slower burning sunsets calling my name.

Admittedly, each time I head down to Mexico, I always toy with the idea of becoming an expat, imagining myself renting out some little oceanside villa. After all there are so many gorgeous villas you can rent in Cabo. I could picture myself working on my novel during the day and then heading over to the local bar in the evenings, serving up mezcal margaritas to the same 4 or 5 patrons each night. I'd be lying if I said this little daydream didn't sound really tempting during this past visit, I admit I even looked up Cabo Real Estate Services online to see what properties were within my price range. But I digress.

Here's a little recap of what we did, saw, sipped, ate and generally enjoyed while down south. And for the folks who have been to Cabo before, would love to hear about your favorites in the area! Please let me know in the comments below and let's compare notes!

Go Adventure:

1. El Arco de Los Cabos: This recommendation probably goes without saying -- but if you're in Cabo, you have to head out to Land's End, where you'll find the infamous rock arch formation that is widely used on all Cabo postcards. It's a short 15-20 minute boat ride from shore (you can see our see trusty boat in the photo below) and it is absolutely breathtaking. Considering it's the extreme southern end of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, there's something very remote feeling about it, even though you're not far from the surrounding towns -- like it's the last stopping point between the world as you know it and the unknown. Depending on what boat tour you take, they can either circle you around the arch (which is what we did) or they'll let you swim ashore and head to Lover's Beach. Tip: Be on the lookout for sea lions!

2. Surf's up: Baja is known for their surf and all two of my actual surf classes have been down south in this part of the world (the third was actually a Tinder date in San Franciso -- but let's save that story for another day). My general thoughts? Depending on which beach you go to, their waters can be actually pretty easy for beginners like me. This past visit, we went ahead with the surf company High Tide, with the captain of their surf division, Alan, as our instructor. He was patient, hands on and determined to help everyone catch a wave. Admittedly, we had some harsher winds than usual, which made our breaks a bit choppier (excuses, excuses, I know), so yours truly was tossed around quite a bit. But I caught a few and Alan taught me some Spanish along the way! All in all, successful day.

3. Carve out time for sunsets: Because you should. And not enough recaps emphasize this. The sunsets are absolutely beautiful down here. Grab a cadillac margarita for the show.

Go Eat & Drink:

1. Flora Farms: We actually saved this for our last night in town, but I'm going to start with it first and say this: GO EAT HERE. It's a bit off the beaten path (OK, a lot off the beaten path. During our cab ride, we both whispered to each other saying that this might be a scene from Breaking Bad where we're going to get dropped off in the middle of the desert and have to call Sal to save us). But alas! It was well worth the long drive down a pothole-ridden dirt road, because when we finally arrived, we were greeted by the most darling little oasis of a restaurant, farm and village all combined into one, smack dab in the middle of the Mexican desert. Founded by a few expats, Patrick and Gloria Greene (oh heyyy, perhaps they can help me figure out my expat exit strategy!), Flora Farm is a 10-acre farming community and refuge, with everything grown on site pesticide-free, and then eventually used over in the restaurant (now that's farm to table!). The decor and layout of the entire place is darling -- very open and airy, almost as if you're walking into someone's backyard garden/patio space for a quiet dinner. Oh, and the twinkling string lights that crisscrossed the entire grounds definitely don't hurt either. I opted for the beet gnocchi, which was delicious, but immediately wished I had gotten the ribs since I literally stole every bite my friend would allow from their plate.

2. The Office: So at first glance, this is very much a "make some bad spring break decisions here" kind of place, but sometimes, it's fun to throw the wild card in every once in a while, right? Plus, the colors of this place were unreal (go check out the second photo in this post to see what I'm talking about). Head here for some casual afternoon drinking -- the people watching alone is worth it (that and the guacamole and ceviche). Tip: If you're like me and your last conversation in Spanish lasting more than 5 minutes was back in high school, do not (I repeat) do not raise your hand as a volunteer. For anything. Chances are, you have no idea what you just volunteered for. And let's just say, I learned this the hard way. 😉

3. Manta: Granted, I actually missed this spot (my darn flight from JFK was canceled, so I had to fly out the following day), but luckily, my friend was able to take full advantage the first night in (and shared the photos to rub in my face a day later). Situated at The Cape Hotel (where we enjoyed our stay - more on that in the next section), Manta is teased as a "comfort seafood" restaurant, which my friend adamantly confirmed, with the ceviche being the hands down favorite. Forutnately for me, executive chef Enrique Olvera has his other renown restaurant Cosme, right here in New York. Looks like I know where I'll be going this weekend. Who wants to join?

Go Stay:

The Cape: Alright, you may be wondering. How could you really go wrong with any resort down in Cabo, when it faces an ocean like the one featured above? And you'd be right. For the most part. Until you saw The Cape. And then you'd probably see why recapping this hotel in just a brief paragraph is actually quite hard. For starters, it's worth stating, we had no clue where to begin when it came to finding a resort down here but luckily, a few Google searches lead us to The Cape, one of the newest Thompson Hotel properties that literally opened up back in June (brand spanking new!) with some pretty noteworthy praise to date already.

Upon arriving on my first day, I could see why. Heading up the coast from the airport, you'll see a smattering of oceanfront resorts, each one of them more beautiful than the last, boasting a Spanish colonial flair, with bougainvillea wrapping around windowsills and simple, clean Mission style lines. Think Hotel California, if you will.

And for a second, when you're heading up to The Cape, you might think that's what's in store for you. Until you turn the driveway bend and see something quite different. My friend, being the architect buff (whereas I'm just an architecture fan), went through a little research craze over the hotel's lead architect, Javier Sanchez, and happily reported back we were in for a modern treat. The overall vibe is mid-century modern meets 1960s Mexican surfer lodge -- the overall structure is modern and sleek, with open-air vistas in all common areas so you're never NOT looking at El Arco de Los Cabos in the distance. The decor is where I freaked out. I mean, a copper tub. In our hotel room? Yes, please.

And that's where I'll stop on The Cape -- as I'll be sharing more snaps and stories about it specifically next week. In the meantime, I'd love to hear any and all stories you may have from your times down south in Cabo! Did you happen to volunteer for anything crazy like I did? 😉

This post was in collaboration with The Cape Hotel. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!

Stay tuned for more of this outfit next week! Snapped by Laura Metzler

If you've been following along on Instagram and Snapchat, you've probably noticed I've been doing more than my fair share of traveling lately for work. Not that I'm complaining by any means, as it's been a great excuse to visit some of the cities that have been on my bucket list for sometime now (hello, Boston and Chicago!). And this past weekend was no exception, when I hopped on down to our nation's capital to play tourist for a few days.

While cruising around D.C., it struck me more than ever just how expansive this country really is and how little I've actually seen of it. Admittedly, I get the travel bug pretty often -- especially around this time of year -- but I typically have my sights set on other countries, tropical beaches or jumping out of airplanes on the other side of the world. All of which is nothing to bemoan or take for granted. And yet, when I was looking out over the reflection pool, with the Vietnam Memorial to my left and the Korean War Memorial to my right and Lincoln staring directly at my back, I felt so honored to call this country my home. Memorials that I had only seen photos and clips in movies of were suddenly giving me chills (in 95 degree weather no less!) and I quickly felt so small, in the most beautifully, humbling way. It was a great reminder of just how much majesty we have right here in our very own backyard. 

As for the trip itself, I'm happy to report that my good friend, Meg, was such a trooper for hitting up all the main monuments with me (I say trooper mainly because the humidity we were dealing with was no laughing matter!). When prepping for the trip, I knew we were going to be covering a lot of ground by foot, so I opted to skip out on my regular Canon DSLR and instead rely on just a camera phone. Given that I have to be pretty well versed in both iOS and Android platforms for work, I was excited when the folks over at Asus asked me to try out their latest device, the ZenFone 2, which is said to have a killer camera and post-editing tools. I definitely wasn't disappointed. I put the zoom to test at the White House and the low-light enhancement nailed the perfect shot of Lincoln, which is said to be best at night (and I will attest to this -- definitely go at 11pm when it's less crowded). 

Plus, I just loved how easy and nimble it made sightseeing and traveling around town in general. No fussing with a lot of manual settings or lugging around my neck -- just grab, point, shoot and on to the next.

So what did we do exactly? Read on for some trip highlights and tips for your own DC excursion!

Go See:

1. Definitely give yourself at least a full day to walk around the National Mall. You'll hit up all the main monuments pretty much at once (Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, White House, several different war memorials, Reflection Pool etc.) Plus the grounds are just breathtaking -- tree lined paths and fountains everywhere you turn.

2. Get tickets for a show at the Kennedy Center. Unfortunately, Meg and I weren't able to snag anything in time, but we did stop by after a run just to visit the building, which is absolutely beautiful inside and out.

3. Speaking of runs, head to the Potomac River running path in the early AM. Great way to start the day as the locals do!

4. Root the Nationals on! I'm a sucker for baseball though, so this was a given. 

5. Opt for the Lincoln Memorial at night. It's less crowded and he's completely illuminated from below, which made for some stunning photos (scroll down to see mine). 

6. Walk around Georgetown. So many charming, ivy covered homes and historic little churches everywhere you turn. Plus, the bakeries were incredibly tempting...

Go Eat & Drink:

1. POV rooftop bar at the W Hotel: You can pretty much see it all from here! The White House, the Washington Monument, the Reflection Pool! It doesn't hurt that they serve up a mean Moscow Mule either.

2. 2 Amys: This came highly recommended by both Meg and Naomi of Love Taza and I have to say, neither of these ladies were overselling it. Some of the best pizza I've had outside of Italy. 

3. Baked and Wired: I fell for this place the minute I saw their custom "Elvis" cupcake (with peanut butter and banana). Thank you very much. 

4. Barcelona: We popped into here right after 2 Amys and it made for the perfect night cap, out on their sidewalk patio. 

5. Le Diplomate: This came highly recommended on Instagram (thank you again for all your recs by the way!). I loved the Parisian vibe but probably not as much as I loved their chocolate hazelnut tart dessert, which I'm still daydreaming about. 

Go Stay:

1. The Jefferson Hotel: While I didn't stay here for my trip, we did host our work event here and I immediately fell in love with the decor. It's always a treat when such a historic building gets converted to a modern day boutique hotel, while still remaining true to a lot of the original character and history of the property. The Jefferson nails this impeccably.

2. St. Regis: It's hard to go wrong with a St. Regis anywhere, but I especially loved this location as it was so central to all of the monuments. It made sight seeing at night a breeze.

This post was in collaboration with Asus. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!